The present invention relates to a coin operated vending machine, and more, particularly, to a multiple coin mechanism that receives the coins for operation of the vending machine and which allows the easy recovery of coins that need to be retrieved from the machine.
The use of various vending machines is, of course, well known and there are a great variety of such machines currently in use for a wide range of products to be dispensed. In the operation of such vending machines, the products desired by the customer are located securely within the particular vending machine, albeit, sometimes on display in that vending machine for the user. Thus, the customer inserts a predetermined combination of coins to reach the aggregate sum required for the specific product whereupon a coin discriminating mechanism acts to identify the particular coins that have been inserted into a coin slot to verify that the proper amount of money has been proffered to the vending machine and that discriminating mechanism thus allows the vending machine to release the product to the user upon correct verification of the amount of money.
In such machines, there are also a wide variety of coin mechanisms that are used to allow the user to insert the proper coins as well as a wide range of discriminating mechanisms that verify the coinage and allow the release of the product. One of the present coin mechanisms currently in use comprises a housing or body that is affixed to the vending machine and which has a coin barrel that can be moved between an outer position and an inner position. In the outer position, the coin barrel extends outwardly from the body and has an upwardly facing coin receiver into which the coins are inserted vertically downwardly. Within that coin receiver, there are a number of individual coin slots that are specially sized so as to receive a particular coin.
When the customer has inserted the proper combination of coins into the coin slots, the coin barrel containing those coin is pushed inwardly by the customer to its inner position where there is located the coin discriminating mechanism. The coin discriminating mechanism thus recognizes the number and denomination of coins that the customer has inserted into the coin slots and allows the coin barrel to be rotated in a direction, generally clockwise, in order to operate the vending machine to release the desired product. If, of course, the proper coins are not inserted into the coin slots, the coin discriminating mechanism will not allow the coin barrel to rotate at all so that no product is released from the vending machine.
One of the difficulties with the aforedescribed coin mechanism is that it is extremely difficult to remove a coin from the coin slot if an error has been made in the insertion of that coin. For example, if a dime is inadvertently dropped into a coin slot intended for a quarter, the dime will still drop into the quarter coin slot but the coin discriminating mechanism will, no doubt, recognize that a quarter is not in that coin slot and will not allow the coin barrel to rotate to operate the vending machine. In such instance, while the coin barrel can be returned to its outer position and the coins within the coin slots thus are visible, it is still very difficult to remove the small coin from the large slot intended for a quarter.
Since, in the outer position, the coin barrel is movable axially but not rotatable, it requires the user to try to fish out the incorrect coin, even to the extent of requiring tweezers, in an effort to correct the problem. It is a tedious task and one that some users become frustrated and simply leave the improper coin in the slot, thereby rendering the vending machine inoperative for the next user who is faced with the same problem of trying to remove the coin that is in the improper slot. The result is frustration on the part of the customers of the vending machine and potentially considerable downtime for a vending machine that would otherwise be generating revenue.
In other situations, there are times that the customer simply changes his or her mind and decides not to purchase one of the products within the vending machine after one or more coins has been inserted into the slots. At that point, the customer is interested in retrieving all of the coins, however, the same problem persists, that is, the coins are securely with the appropriate slot for the particular coin, however there still is no easy means of retrieving those coins back to the prospective purchaser without considerable difficulty.
Thus, it would be advantageous for the coin mechanism for such a vending machine to have some means of retrieving an inadvertently, incorrectly placed coin with ease and without a great deal of maneuvering or the need to use some retrieval implement or device to aid in the recovery of the coin.
In accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is a coin mechanism provided that overcomes the difficulties and problems of the present prior art coin mechanisms by allowing the user to easily and readily retrieve coins from the coin mechanism if the customer has a change of mind or has inadvertently inserted a coin into an incorrect coin slot.
In the present invention, the coin mechanism comprises a body, preferable of a molded plastic construction having a coin barrel that is both rotatable and axially movable within that body. The coin barrel includes a coin receiver that faces vertically upwardly when located in position affixed to the vending machine. Thus, the customer can insert the coins into the coin receiver vertically downwardly. The coin receiver itself, comprises a plurality of individual coin slots, each specifically designed to accept a particular denomination of coin.
When the coins have been inserted by the customer into the coin receiver, the coin barrel can be moved axially inwardly by the customer such that the coins enter the internal, secure area of the vending machine where a coin discriminating mechanism evaluates the number and denomination of the coins to be sure that the correct aggregate amount of money has been proffered to the vending machine by the customer.
If the proper coinage has, in effect, been inserted by the user and is recognized by the coin discriminating mechanism, that mechanism releases a locking system to allow the customer to rotate the coin barrel in a first direction to operate the vending machine and thereby have the product released to the customer.
The present coin mechanism also has a advantageous feature that allows the customer to retrieve the coins that have been inserted vertically downwardly into the coin receiver in the event one or more of those coins has been inadvertently inserted into the wrong coin slot i.e. one intended for another denomination of coin, or, alternatively, the customer simply has had a change of mind and wants the coins returned. In such event, the present coin mechanism allows the customer, when the coin barrel is in its outer position, to rotate the coin barrel in a second direction such that the coin receiver faces substantially downwardly and the coins can fall out by the force of gravity, thereby making it simple and easy for the customer to retrieve the coins. In the preferred embodiment, the first direction is the clockwise direction and the second direction is the counter clockwise direction of rotation, however, the directions may be opposite that of the preferred embodiment or, as a further alternative the first and second directions may be the same direction.
In any event, with the present invention, the customer can simply rotate the coin barrel, when in its outer position, and quickly retrieve any coins that have been inserted into the coin receiver by rotating the coin barrel to a position where the coin receiver is substantially facing the downward direction so that the coins can readily fall downwardly by the force of gravity to be retrieved by the customer.
Other features of the present coin mechanism will become apparent in light of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.